Roy Rogers chain returning to Long Island

After a nearly decade-long hiatus, the Roy Rogers restaurant chain will be making its Long Island comeback.

The Burger Brothers Restaurant Group, owned by serial franchisees John and Jeff Froccaro, has signed a seven-store deal covering Nassau, Suffolk and Queens counties with the Frederick, Md.-based Roy Rogers chain. The Froccaros are planning to open their first Roy Rogers location along Suffolk’s south shore within the Town of Brookhaven.

John Froccaro said they hope to open their first Roy Rogers by the end of next year, but he’s unsure where the next few locations will be.

“Wherever the opportunity arises, that’s where we’re going to go,” he told LIBN.

Long Island’s last Roy Rogers, which was in Shirley, closed in Nov. 2010 during a period when Jim Plamondon and his brother, Pete Jr., who jointly purchased the rights to franchise the concept in 2002, were whittling down the system to retrench the brand.

At the chain’s peak in 1990, there were 648 Roy Rogers across the U.S. Soon after, Hardee’s bought the company from Marriott with the intention of folding the stores into the Hardee’s brand. However, that effort failed and eventually most of the locations were taken by other fast-food brands. On Long Island, Wendy’s and Burger King took over the former Roy Rogers restaurant sites.

A newly opened Roy Rogers in Virginia / Courtesy of Roy Rogers Restaurants

Since the Plamondons took the helm, the Roy Rogers chain has been opening new and renovated sites in Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and West Virginia, primarily through franchising. The company has opened 10 new restaurants since the start of 2015, and is now looking to add two to four locations per year throughout the eastern U.S.

“We haven’t had a location on Long Island in many years and we’ve received many requests from devoted fans to return,” Jim Plamondon, co-owner of Roy Rogers Franchise Company, said in a company statement. “Moreover, we’re thrilled to be bringing our legendary concept back to the area in partnership with great operators like John and Jeff Froccaro. They have an excellent track record of developing successful restaurants, and will be a great addition to our system in optimizing performance of their own sites and reintroducing the brand to Long Island.”

The Froccaros’ experience in the restaurant business began in 1982, when their dad, James, a Burger King exec, opened his first burger joint in Port Washington. The brothers currently own and operate 36 Burger Kings throughout the New York metropolitan area. They also own three Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grill restaurants in East Meadow, Franklin Square and Smithtown and two Qdoba Mexican Eats locations in East Meadow and Brooklyn.

“Roy Rogers is a great, historic brand with many fans here in New York, my brother and I among them,” Jeff Froccaro said in the statement. “That was certainly part of the appeal for us. We also liked the fact that we have our pick of communities in which to develop, and the knowledge the Plamondons bring to the table, having operated Roy Rogers restaurants themselves for many years. We’re excited to be partnering with them to bring our communities another great dining option.”

Celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, the Roy Rogers Restaurant chain was founded in 1968 and currently consists of 24 company-owned restaurants and 29 franchise restaurants in six states.

The company is actively seeking more franchisees for areas in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions. To qualify, prospective candidates must have a minimum net worth of $1 million. The all-in cost to open a Roy Rogers restaurant ranges from $767,250 to $1.58 million. The average annual revenue for a Roy Rogers restaurant in 2016 was about $1.85 million, according to the company’s website.

25 comments

Roy Rogers was my 1st job when I was 16 years old in a newly built store in Merrick NY. So many people I know love Roy Rogers & would love to have it back on Long Island!! Can’t wait! I have a picture of myself in my Roy Rogers outfit with the red cowboy hat!! It would be great to have one near Garden City where I live!

I am over the moon excited! My friends and family know any road trip going down south means an automatic stop at Roy Rogers. Been missing them since they left Queens, across from Queens Center Mall. Coming back to Queens would not be a bad idea, they are building up that area….i’m just saying.

HI I have a GREAT IDEA, why don’t you put a Roy Rogers in Riverhead, NY. Most of us who live here came from Queens and went to Roy Rigers very often because the food was very good and there were a few of them around where ever you went you saw a Roy Rogers

Please open one in Queens! There used to be one on the corner of Union Turnpike and 164th st. It was the best roast beef and chicken I ever ate! Then hardys bought them out and it turned to garbage, eventually going out of business and now a burger king is in its place… Good luck gentleman and keep us all posted!

Hi, I live in a town called Copiague, Town of Babylon. On the South Shore. We have so many vacant lots, buildings. I think we can use something like Roy Rogers here.. It would be good. Always <3 Roy Rogers.

34 years ago I had my first date with my soon to be wife, and meal at Roy Rogers in Queens New York. Now we live on Long Island and are looking forward to the restaurant opening near us in Brookhaven. Hopefully for our 35th anniversary we will be celebrating there.

I’m so excited. I always loved Roy Rogers. Please open one in Farmingdale Ny. It’s right on the border of Nassau and Suffolk. There is a closed down diner and that would be a amazing spot for a Roy Rogers.

There is a vacant location on the corner of Washington Street and Old Country Road in Mineola. Site was formerly a Starbucks and then a Subway sandwich shop. It has been sitting vacant for almost a year. Might be worth exploring the possibility of putting a Roy Rogers there. Site is right next to a professional office building, right across the street from the Nassau County courts, as well as across from a condo complex. Would surely generate a constant flow of business to a fast food franchise.

So you have to have a net worth of $1 million? No, I guess us poor people can only get into the fast food business by 1) working at one of these joints; or 2) walking through the front door and ordering something.

Please come back in Eastmeadow or Uniondale !,!!!! Or maybe even Levitown, hopefully you’ll come back in the general area in which you used to be in Uniondale Hempstead Turnpike we used to go there before the Islander games

Please open up in Broward. I have been waiting for over 25 years. The last time I had that was in Bayville when my husband lives where he lived 25 years ago hopefully one day you guys would consider opening one down here in Florida I assure you it would be great

About the Author

David Winzelberg covers real estate, franchising, and white-collar crime for Long Island Business News.